It is sometimes sad to think about the number of people we encounter in our day to day lives that have not accepted, or may not even have been exposed to God’s Salvation through Jesus. There is a constant battle going on for the hearts and souls of everyone, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

It is not possible to sit down and witness to everyone we encounter, but we can demonstrate God’s love with each interaction we have with others. 1 John 4:11-12 says, “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

We can never know what snowball effect a kind word or action may have on another person. I think the expression, “we may be the only Jesus someone may ever see,” is a good reminder of how to approach others.

Dear Lord, You have conquered sin and the devil, and we only need to believe and trust in you to be on your winning side. Help us to show your love to others in our daily lives so that we might be part your plan to bring them over to you as well. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Philippians 4:6,7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

I find a great deal of comfort and wisdom in this passage, about how and why to pray, but I also find it interesting that it says that God’s peace will “guard” your hearts and minds. Using this word implies that our Hearts and Minds need to be protected from something. I think what God’s peace is protecting our hearts and minds from, is temptation; The many varieties of temptation that draw us away.

Some other Bible versions use the expression “keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

So by praying, asking for what we need and thanking God for what he has done, we will experience God’s Peace that protects us from temptation, and keeps us connected to Jesus Christ. This lets us do what the verse starts with…Not worry.

Dear Lord, Thank you for this promise of your peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

And, Happy Birthday and God’s Blessings to my daughter Elise. We love you dearly.

In the Old Testament, we read about the prophets that God spoke through to get his message to the people and their leaders. God sent the prophets to the Israelites when they were “off course” and had stopped following God’s guidance.

In many cases God would have the prophet tell the people they were not following God’s guidance, and that God was going to punish them if they didn’t return to Him. Most times, they went on following their own desires, ultimately leading to terrible consequences, like foreign invasion, or enslavement, for them.

In Isaiah 48, Isaiah the prophet is bringing God’s message to the Israelites who are going away from God’s direction. In Isaiah 48:17-18 he tells them, “This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.”

Isn’t it that way for us as well? If we look for God’s guidance and think about it before acting, we will often avoid many of the self-inflicted problems of life. When we listen for God’s guidance and follow it, we can have the “peace flowing like a gentle river,” that Isaiah describes, knowing that God is directing our steps.

Dear Lord, As humans, it is difficult for us to overcome the temptation to follow our own direction rather than yours. Remind us to ask for your guidance and listen, so that we may have the peace you promise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It is great to pray for little things, and have an ongoing conversation with God throughout our day. Thessalonians 5:17 says to “pray continually.” We can ask for God to help us do well on a test, or close an important sale, or have a good report from a doctor visit. These are all fine to ask for, but those things could happen with or without God’s help.

However, how often do we ask for really significant things that cannot happen without God’s intervention? Things like unexpected funds for your church to make needed improvements, healing of a chronic medical condition, or straightening up of a wayward relative or friend. In John 14:13-14 Jesus says, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” If we truly believe in God’s power, and believe that what we want will bring Glory to God, we should be asking for things that are impossible without God’s supernatural input.

Dear Lord, Help us also remember that you are God and there are no limits to your capabilities. Help us also remember your promise to do whatever we ask so that it brings glory to God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

“All In”

It is an expression used in gambling, when a player is so confident in his or her position, that he or she puts everything at risk. Win and the payoff is the maximum possible, lose and be wiped out.

Jesus says in Luke 14:26, “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else: your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes even your own life; otherwise you cannot be my disciple.” NLT

In modern terms, Jesus says we must be “all in” if we want to follow him.

The first commandment God gave us through Moses in Exodus 20:3, “You must have no other gods but me.”

We must put all our hope, trust, confidence, and reverence in God. When we do He says in verse 6, “I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commandments.”

Dear Lord, how difficult it seems, but what peace it brings to be “all in” with you. Help us do so. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.